When You Walked Into My Life
by Sailor Elysia
Summary: Serena & Darien are typical college students, but the relationship they have is anything BUT typical.
1. one

When You Walked Into My Life   
by Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]   
Rating:PG 

Part One: You Walked In 

It just wasn't fair. She had been the only one to catch the flu after she boasted she never got sick. What a punishment. Fortunately, it had turned out to be a twenty-four hour bug, and Serena was on her way to recovery. But she hadn't been well enough to go away for the weekend with everyone else. 

Hot chocolate and a movie immediately brightened her spirits. Serena coughed once and stood up, determined to make it into the kitchen with the little energy she had left. The flu was a formidable opponent, Serena discovered, and she fought back fiercely. Stirring her hot cocoa slowly, she popped in the movie her roommates rented earlier in the week, and fell back onto the pile of pillows and blankets with a soft groan. 

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Serena was sorely tempted not to answer it, but it wasn't often for people to stop by in the middle of the day. "It's open," she called out as loud as she could, in spite of her sore throat. 

A young man with dark hair and deep blue eyes stepped inside. He gave Serena a quick smile, then asked, "Is Mina here?" 

Serena rolled her eyes. Every time a guy came over to their apartment, it was usually for Mina. Didn't they know she already had a serious boyfriend, and she was practically engaged to him? Guys could be so dense sometimes. "No," she replied quietly, "she's gone for the weekend." 

"Oh, all right," the guy responded, and he opened the door to leave, but suddenly stopped and stared at Serena. "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" 

Serena chuckled slightly. "Now that's a classic. I've heard better pick-up lines than that before." He rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant. I've seen you around before." He came back inside, shut the door, and perched on the arm of the opposite couch. "My name's Darien, by the way." 

"Now I remember. I think you're in my social dance class. I'm Serena," she answered. 

"Serena," he echoed, committing her name to memory. Trying to think of something intelligent to say, he started, "So, what do you think of the class?" 

She pulled the blanket away that had been wrapped around her. "I like it, even though I'm just taking it as a refresher course. I've been dancing for most of my life." 

Darien's smile fell a little. "Lucky you. I'm having some trouble," he admitted. "I swear I must have two left feet." Serena started to laugh at that, but it turned into an uncontrollable bout of coughing. 

"Hey, are you all right?" Darien asked, concerned. Serena took a sip of her cocoa and sighed deeply. "I'm fine, I'm just getting over the flu, that's all." Seeing Darien's look of discomfort, she replied, "Don't worry, I'm not contagious anymore." She patted the couch cushion next to her. "Do you want to stay for a while? I was just about to start a movie." 

Darien came over and sat next to Serena, barely dodging a pillow she threw at him. "Which movie?" With a big grin, Serena responded, "Only one of the most quoted movies on campus. 'The Princess Bride.'" He settled back onto the couch and made himself comfortable as Serena pushed the play button on the remote. 

The next two hours were pretty silent, except when the two of them would launch into a contest to see who could quote the movie the most. It was definitely one afternoon Serena would never forget. 

****** 

Serena walked into the ballroom and waited for class to begin. She still felt slightly weak, but she couldn't skip any classes, not with finals coming up in another month. 

Placing her backpack on one of the chairs, she went over to sign the attendance roll. Turning around, she found herself face to face with Darien, and she broke into a smile. He grinned back. "How are you feeling today?" Touched that he would care, she smiled and replied, "Much better, thank you." 

The teacher came in and was about to start the class. Darien held out his hand and offered it to Serena. "Would you care to dance, milady?" he asked jokingly. "Remember, I have two left feet." 

Serena took his proffered hand. "I'm always up for a challenge," she teased. They started dancing, and it didn't take long for Serena to realize that Darien had been right about his dancing. 

She looked up at him, smiled slightly and shook her head. "Have you been having trouble with this all along?" Darien knew what she meant and nodded glumly. "That's all right. I can help you." 

She pulled him over to an empty corner of the ballroom, away from the rest of the class. "First you have to get your feet to move with the beat. If you listen carefully to the music, you can hear it. Once you do that, you don't have to concentrate so much on the steps and you can have more fun." She demonstrated the basic step a couple of times, then turned to him. "Now you do it." 

By the time class finished, Darien was able to dance twice as well than he had when he first began. He even took over the lead from Serena, leading her around the room for the last few minutes of class. Twirling her around in his embrace, Darien surprised Serena by suddenly dipping her backward. 

As he brought her back up, their faces were merely inches apart. No words were spoken as the two of them gazed somberly into each other's eyes. Not sure what to make of the feelings that suddenly surged through her, Serena dropped her arms and stepped away from Darien, who appeared to be as confused as she was. 

Her cheeks flaming red, Serena quickly recovered her composure. "Wow, Darien, I'm impressed." Lightly blushing, he shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. 

Glancing at her watch, Serena discovered that she only had a few minutes to get to her next class. She gasped, grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulders. "Sorry to run off, but if I don't go now, I'll be so late. See you around, Darien!" 

****** 

If there was one thing Serena did not enjoy about college, taking tests would certainly beat out everything else. And to make it worse, the only place she could take it was in a tiny cramped room in the basement of the library. With a sigh, Serena slid into one of the desks and glanced over the three-page humanities test. 

The time passed quickly, people came and went, and still she sat there, briefly wondering if she would finish before the day ended. With only ten questions left, Serena shook herself out of her daydream, and concentrated on finishing as quickly as possible. 

Suddenly, she felt something poke her in middle of her back. Serena shrugged it off and went back to her test. But then she felt it again. 

And again. 

_And again. _

She turned around in her desk, extremely irritated now. Preparing to tell off her tormentor, she came face to face with Darien who had a goofy smile on his face. 

"What are you doing?" Serena whispered lowly. "Can't you see I'm trying to take a test?" No answer, just a quirky grin from him. Rolling her eyes, she turned back around to finish up and get out of there as fast as possible before Darien could distract her again. 

Too late. Another poke in her back made her turn around to glare at him again. "Quit it," she hissed through clenched teeth. The proctor walked by and threw the two of them a warning glance. Finishing the last three questions in record time, Serena scooped up her belongings, handed in her test, and walked out. Darien followed closely behind. 

Serena whirled around and faced Darien, placing her hands on her hips. "You know you could have gotten me in a lot of trouble in there." Darien smiled sheepishly. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But how else was I supposed to get your attention?" 

"Waiting until I was finished would have been just fine," she shot back, then paused a moment. "Why did you want to get my attention anyway?" 

Darien took her backpack from her and slung it over his own shoulder. "I finished my own test early, and then I saw you, so I figured I would wait around to walk you home. Is that all right with you?" Serena's features softened a bit. "On one condition," she replied, an impish smile flickering across her lips, "just don't poke me again." 

"Oh, really? You wouldn't happen to be ticklish, now would you?" Darien said, inching towards her slowly. Serena began backing up as he came toward her. "No, not exactly..." but as she said this, she turned and took off running toward the trees on the grassy quad. 

Darien stood there in shock. He had no idea she could run that fast, but considering she was a dancer, it wasn't surprising. Without a moment's hesitation, he dropped the backpack, and took off after Serena, who was nearly five yards ahead of him. Looking over her shoulder, she squealed as she saw him catching up to her, and she began to run faster. 

Unfortunately, Serena didn't see the large stone right in the middle of her path. Down she went, her knees and hands hit the ground first, and the rest of her body a moment later. Serena let out a loud grunt of pain, and she winced as she rolled over onto her side and examined the damage. 

Darien finally caught up to her, and went down on his knees to help her. Gently, he pulled her into his arms, brushing the loose hair out of her face. "Are you all right?" Where does it hurt the most?" 

"Everywhere," Serena complained through gritted teeth. "But mostly my pride and my ankle." Leaning over to examine her ankle, she winced again as she tried to move it. She sighed in exasperation, and fell back into Darien's lap, waiting for her strength to return so she could get up. 

Gazing down into her face, Darien found himself mesmerized once again by this girl he had been lucky enough to run into. Slowly, he found himself getting closer and closer to her, just inches from her face... 

"Um, Darien?" Serena spoke softly, looking back up at him. "Would you mind getting my backpack you dropped back there? I need something from it." 

Darien grudgingly pulled himself out of his dream world, and got up and retrieved her backpack. By the time he returned, Serena was sitting up, and she was taking another look at her ankle. "Here," he said, and dropped the backpack by her side. She immediately opened a side pocket and pulled out a rolled-up ace bandage. "I'm always prepared," she said with a grin, and began wrapping her ankle. 

Reaching for Darien's hand, she shakily stood up, putting a tiny amount of pressure on her left foot. "This is going to be a lot of fun trying to get home now," she replied sarcastically. 

Standing in front of her, Darien stopped Serena from going any further. "Who says you're going to be doing any walking?" She looked at him incredulously. "Well, I don't have any other choice, do I? Besides, it's not like you'd carry--HEY!" Darien scooped her up into his arms, which caught her off guard. Serena looked at him and rolled her eyes. "No way am I going to let you carry me all the way back to my apartment." Darien looked back at her skeptically. "Do you have a better suggestion?" 

"Anything is better than this. This is a little awkward, don't you think?" Darien actually felt pretty comfortable, but he couldn't let her know that. "I know," he replied, setting her back down gingerly. "I'll give you a piggyback ride." 

Serena nearly burst aloud laughing. "Of all the stupid..." then she thought about it for a moment and decided anything was better than before. "All right, if you think you're up to carrying me two blocks." He lifted her onto his back. Unsurprisingly, Serena was quite light and Darien had no problem carrying her back to her apartment. 

They were laughing about how stupid the day had turned out to be as Darien slid her off his back and opened the front door for her. As they walked inside the apartment, Lita, Mina and Ami, Serena's three roommates, looked up from where they sat in the living room and kitchen. 

"Umm... hi," Serena sheepishly grinned, and she took her backpack from Darien's grasp. "Thanks for helping me get home," she replied, turning away from her roommates. She knew she was in for it now. Darien stepped back outside. "No problem. You stay off that ankle, all right? If I catch you dancing before it's healed, you'll have to answer to me," he said with a grin, and left. 

The silence in the other room was intense as Serena closed the door, picked up her backpack and hobbled back into her room. She jumped up onto her bed and waited for a few moments, taking the time to re-wrap her ankle. There was no noise coming from the other room and she knew any minute now... 

Sure enough, three heads popped in the doorway of the bedroom, and they all had suspicious looks on their faces. Serena smiled at them and sighed. Freshmen. They were all the same. "What? I tripped over a tree root. It happens. I'll be fine." 

Lita came over and sat on the opposite bed and stared at her. "Oh, we know you'll be fine. Question is, who was that hot guy who was helping you?" 

"What, you mean Darien?" The three girls nodded their heads vigorously. Serena pulled her other leg up and tucked it underneath her, being careful of her ankle. "I met him about two weeks ago, when I stayed home sick that one weekend. He came by to see Mina, and we just started talking." 

"He dropped by to see me?" Mina asked incredulously. "Darien, hmm? Where do I know him from... oh, now I remember! He's in my English class. He sits in the row next to me and hardly ever talks." Shaking her head, Serena replied, "Are you sure we're talking about the same person? Once he gets going, he doesn't shut up." 

Ami nudged her roommate in the side. "So are you two officially going out?" Serena's eyes widened. "No, we just barely met. Besides, I don't think he likes me that way." There was a burst of laughter from Lita. "Did you see the way he stared at you when he was leaving? Hello, Serena! He wants you. He wants you bad." 

Serena rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We're just friends."Mina jumped up onto the bed. "So if you're not dating him, does that mean I can set you up with a friend of mine?" Serena groaned. "Remember what happened last time you set me up? I'm not sure I completely trust you." Mina held up her hands in protest. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that he was going to shave off all his hair the night before your date? If you had seen him with hair, you would have agreed with me that he was really cute. Anyway, I work with Tim in the library, and I think you two would really hit it off. I suggested that he take you to the dance on Wednesday." 

"Can he dance?" was Serena's first question. Mina shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't asked him. But will you at least give him a chance? Please?" 

Sighing loudly, Serena knew she couldn't refuse when it came to the pleading of a roommate. "All right, I'll do it. First I have to wait until my ankle heals. But you owe me big time." 

****** 

"She really owes me big time," Serena muttered under her breath as Tim stepped on her toes for what seemed like the hundredth time. She tried not to wince, but he saw her discomfort and apologized again. If she heard him say sorry once more... 

The song finally ended, and Serena saw her chance to escape her torture. "Tim, do you mind if we sit this next song out?" she asked sweetly. He nodded and escorted her off the dance floor. Leaving Tim to talk with a couple of his friends, Serena made her way over to the refreshment table, grateful to be alone for once. Just as she was daring to try some of the infamous peach punch, out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a familiar face. 

Almost choking on her drink, Serena sputtered out, "Darien? This is a surprise." He was just as surprised to see her as she was. "Serena... hi," he stuttered. He turned to the girl hanging on his arm. "Rei, this is Serena, a good friend of mine. Serena, this is Rei." 

Serena smiled at Rei, then looked back at Darien with a raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Rei, I'll be right back. I have to talk to Serena about something." The willowy raven-haired girl nodded, and went to check out the other refreshments. 

Taking her arm, Darien led Serena over to the corner of the ballroom. "It's not what you think. I got set up. She's my roommate's girlfriend's best friend." Serena poked him in the ribs. "You don't have to report to me, you nut. I didn't think I'd run into you here. Besides, I'm on a blind date too," she rolled her eyes, "and I wish it was over already." 

"You're not having any fun?" 

Sighing, Serena replied, "I think it could be better." 

Darien faced her now, looking directly at her. Serena found herself wanted to melt in his penetrating gaze, but she managed to contain herself. In a quiet voice, he asked, "What would make the night better for you?" 

_'If I was here with you instead,'_ the words were at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't find the courage to say them. What would he think of her if she had? Just as she was about to answer him out loud, another song began blaring through the speakers. Serena groaned as she recognized the tune. 

Darien was confused. "What's the matter now?" She rolled her eyes. "Tim—my date—said he was going to request this song because it's one of his favorites, which means he's going to want to dance to it. And since I'm here as his date, I have to go and find him." She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. "Have fun with your date, Darien. I'll see you later." 

****** 

An hour later, Darien caught sight of Serena again out on the dance floor, trying not to look miserable but not hiding it very well as she went to the side of the room. He wanted to do something to make her happy again. 

Darien whispered something to his date, then walked over to where Serena was standing. Laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, he asked in a low voice, "Would you like to dance?" Without giving Tim a second glance, she took Darien's hand and they walked out onto the dance floor. 

Serena leaned up on her tiptoes and whispered into Darien's ear as they began dancing. "Thank you." He looked down at her. "For what?" 

"For saving me from the monster." 

He chuckled. "Still that bad?" 

She groaned. "You have no idea. He has no rhythm whatsoever... I will never let my roommate set me up ever again." 

Darien pulled her a little closer. "And what does that say for me since I'm not the best dancer either?" She grinned at him. "Oh, believe me, you're like a breath of fresh air. He has to watch his feet the entire time. I don't know about you, but I've never liked looking at someone's forehead half the night." 

He chuckled again. "I understand. This girl hasn't learned the meaning of quiet yet. I can hardly get a word in edgewise." Serena giggled. "Looks like we'll both swear off blind dates after this." 

The song ended and another slow one began. "I don't want this to end yet," Serena murmured under her breath. Darien heard her and whispered back, "It doesn't have to." He tightened his embrace around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. They swayed to the music, and Serena was enveloped in Darien's scent. He smelled faintly of chocolate and some other spices mixed together, a heavenly combination that made her drowsy as she closed her eyes, turning her attention back to the song softly playing in the background. 

_Like a miracle out of the blue   
You rescued me like the angels do   
You shook the heavens and cracked the sky   
When you walked, when you walked into my life... _

The last traces of the melody rang through the room and Serena lifted her head to look at Darien. Time seemed to stand still and the whole room faded away from around them as they gazed into each other's eyes. They began drifting closer and closer to each other... 

Then out of the corner of his eye, Darien caught sight of Serena's date, most likely looking around for her. With a sigh, he pulled away from her warm body. "Your date's probably wondering where you are." He reluctantly led her back over to Tim, quickly found Rei, and left the dance. Darien couldn't stand it. If he couldn't be there with Serena, he didn't want to be there at all. 


	2. two

The title of the fic and the lyrics from the previous part comes from the song "When You Walked Into My Life" by Lila McCann. 

  


When You Walked Into My Life   
By Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]   
Rating: PG 

Part Two: Getting To Know You (and Like You Too) 

He had been staring at the phone for the last hour. Darien knew what he wanted to do, but mustering up enough courage to do it was another story. Sighing deeply, he grabbed the phone and dialed the number. 

One ring, then two. The other end picked up, and a chirpy voice said, "Hello?" Darien let out a silent breath of relief. It wasn't her. "Hi, is Serena home?" he replied as calmly as he could. 

"Hold on, I'll go get her." Lita set the cordless phone down on the table and sang out, "Serena! Phone's for you!" Then, because she was in a good mood and wanted to have a little fun, Lita added, "Sounds like a hot guy!" 

Darien could hear some muffled conversation in the background, and then the phone was picked up again. "Hello?" Serena's crystal clear voice rang through the receiver and into Darien's ears. He couldn't resist letting her roommate's comment go. "So your roommates think I sound hot?" 

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, you know how us college girls are. Late at night we sit around talking about guys and how we can't live without them." 

"Really?" 

She giggled to herself. He had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker, thus proving that guys really were gullible. "No, of course we don't. Well, except for Mina, that is." 

Laughing out loud, Darien faintly heard a "Hey!" in the background, the phone being set down on something, then a door being slammed shut. "Sorry about that," Serena said, picking the phone back up. "I had a little eavesdropping problem. So..." she replied, changing the subject, "Why did you call, Darien?" 

All of a sudden he got rather nervous. _'Get a hold of yourself, Darien! It's just Serena you're talking to! Sure, like **that** helped...' _

"Darien? You there?" 

_'Say something, stupid!'_ He gulped. "Well... I wanted to ask you about something." 

She switched the phone to her other ear. "What is it?" 

Darien felt his palms getting sweaty. He was... not going to do this. After all that, he had lost his nerve. But what could he do about it now? He had her on the phone, and he couldn't get out of it now. "I... I was hoping you could help me get ready for my English midterm, since you are an English major, you know." 'Open mouth, insert foot, Einstein.' 

Serena switched the phone to her other ear, a little dejected. "Sure, Darien, I'd love to help you out. What are friends for, right?" 

"Y-you would?" Darien was shocked that she would accept so quickly, but thrilled at the same time. "Great!" 

"Well, when do you need my help? Is there anything I should bring?" He was still so relieved that he nearly forgot to respond. "Oh, yeah, that. Well, is tomorrow all right with you?" He glanced at the clock on his wall. "Um, Serena, I've got to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Bye." He hung up the phone before he totally lost it. 

"Tomorrow it is," she mumbled to herself as she hung up the phone. She sighed, opening the bedroom door. Her three roommates fell into the room, looking up at her with sheepish grins. "So what's going on?" Lita asked, as she stood up and helped the other two to their feet. 

With a shrug, Serena replied, "That was Darien, He wants me to help him with an English assignment." Mina, Lita and Ami all got the same look on their faces at the same time. "That's it? Did he say anything else? Did he ask you out?" 

She shook her head. "I told you before, we're just friends," she replied, though the words sounded foreign to her ears as she said them. Friends. It pained her just to say the word. If that's all it was meant to be, then that was okay. But anything more was always a nice thought. 

****** 

Darien groaned under the weight of his backpack. Times like these he wished he had a car, especially when Serena's apartment was nearly three blocks away. They agreed to meet at her place since all her roommates would be out for the evening and they could get some work done without interruption. 

He wondered to himself why he hadn't just asked her out. He wanted to, but actually asking was difficult for him. He had never been one of the popular guys in high school. That was why his roommates were always setting him up on blind dates. He wished they would leave him alone when it came to dealing with his love life; he was doing fine on his own. 

That thought stopped him in his tracks. His love life was fine? Since when? He hadn't made a date on his own the entire time he had been at college. But then again, he was too busy getting his homework completed to take time to notice any of the girls in his classes. 

Until he met Serena. She did something to him that he never felt before. From the very first day he met her, up to two nights ago when he held her in his arms as they danced, he knew there was something special about her. 

So why was it so difficult for him to show his feelings? He shook his head at his stupidity. The next time the opportunity presented itself, he would ask her out before he lost the nerve to do it altogether. 

****** 

With a smile, Serena opened the front door and let Darien inside. Though she was wearing a pair of old jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, she still looked cute. "Unusually quiet, I know. It's amazing when I get the apartment to myself. Maybe I was just lucky." She pointed to the kitchen table where her books and papers were scattered on top. "I tried to clean as much as I could, but it'll have to do for now." As he sat down in one of the wooden chairs, she asked, "So what is it exactly that you have to do for English?" 

He smiled sheepishly. "Well, it's the same thing that Mina had to do." 

"Memorize lines from one of Shakespeare's plays? That shouldn't be too difficult. Which ones have you studied?" 

"The only one I remember is _'Much Ado About Nothing,'_ and that's because we watched the movie in class last week." 

Serena's eyes lit up. "That happens to be my favorite comedy by Shakespeare. Let me see if I can find my copy, and I'll help you pick a scene to memorize." She jumped out of the chair, and ran back down the hall into her room. Darien saw the light go on, and chuckled to himself as he heard her moving around the room loudly in search of the book. 

"Found it!" she yelled, coming in from the other room, book in hand. Darien took one look at her and started to laugh. "What?" she asked, then looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had fallen out of its ponytail, and clumps of dust stuck to her shirt. Quickly, she brushed herself off and pulled her hair back into its ponytail. "Remind me never to go looking under my bed again. I'm likely to get lost in there." 

Flopping down in the chair, she started flipping through the dog-eared copy. "So what's your favorite scene? Do you even have one yet?" Darien turned a couple of pages, and skimmed over the words. "Here," he replied, pointing to a section. "Act Five, Scene Two, right before everyone found out that Hero was proven innocent. This was pretty good." 

Serena laughed. "Ah, so you're into the scandalous love affairs?" He grinned sheepishly. "Actually, I like when Beatrice and Benedick pretend like they can't stand one other, but it's so obvious that they want each other." She raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Sounds like you already know what you're doing. Do you really need my help?" 

Darien grabbed her arm. "I only know a little, but the rest of it leaves me clueless. Mina said you helped her out so much, and I thought you could do the same for me. Please?" 

Serena found his pitiful pout hard to resist and she giggled. "Okay, okay, I'll help you. By the time I get done with you, you'll be able to recite it in your sleep." 

****** 

"Darien, don't you think we've been doing this long enough?" 

"Just once more through, and I think I might have it totally memorized. Please, Serena?" 

Serena rubbed her tired eyes and focused on the book again. They had moved from the table to the couch two hours ago, and Serena was starting to feel the effects of the late night. "All right. What line are you on?" 

Darien ran his finger down the page and stopped. "Right here. _'Only foul words, and thereupon I will kiss thee,'_" he quoted, slightly blushing as he did so, but Serena didn't seem to notice. She yawned, found her place and began to read. "_'Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome. Therefore I will depart unkissed.'_" 

He took a deep breath and attempted to recite the next line completely from memory. "_'Thou hast frighted the word out of his right sense, so forcible is thy wit. But I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge, and either I must shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a coward. And I pray thee now tell me, for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?'_" Happy that he finally remembered it all, Darien turned to Serena for her to continue the scene, but found she had fallen fast asleep. 

Darien nudged her softly on the shoulder, but when she didn't budge, he knew it was useless and gave up. Besides, he had kept her going for almost three hours, and she deserved to sleep. He reached over and gently pulled her over so she could lay down on the full length of the couch. Grabbing the fleece blanket from the back of the couch, he unfolded it and spread it over Serena. 

For a moment, he stood back and stared at her, watching her sleep so peacefully, almost wishing that he knew what she was dreaming about. Then on a sudden impulse he leaned forward and planted the softest of kisses on her forehead. 

Settling back into the worn plush recliner in the corner of the room, Darien sighed deeply and closed his eyes briefly, thinking a quick rest would do him some good. He would only sleep a few minutes, then go home and get the rest of his homework done. 

****** 

As dawn seeped into the dim room, Serena rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, yawning loudly. She hated sleeping on the couch because it always gave her a painful crick in her neck. She stood up sleepily and walked back into the bathroom. 

She whirled around in the doorway and blinked her eyes. There, in the recliner in the corner, slept a peaceful looking Darien. 

Gasping softly, Serena padded across the carpet in her stocking feet and stood at the side of the chair, leaning over him quietly. It wasn't a figure of her imagination. He was really here, and that could only mean that he had slept there the entire night. She was relieved that the RA forgot to do her nightly checks, because Serena didn't have a way to explain herself out of this. 

She looked down on Darien's peaceful features again, and a smile came to her lips. He was so adorable while he slept, his hair all mussed up and his mouth slightly open. She ran her fingers though his thick dark hair, pulling away slightly when he shifted in his sleep. 

Even when Darien was awake, she had never been this close to him, nor this open with her feelings. Serena didn't understand why she acted the way she did; her dislike of obnoxious college guys just came naturally sometimes. 

Funny how everything changed when she was near Darien. For the first time in a long time, she was able to open herself up to him and relate to him on a personal level without the fear of being hurt or rejected by him. She trusted him with her secrets; he didn't seem to be the heartbreaker or player type. 

Suddenly she realized that blue eyes were looking back into hers. Darien's groggy gaze met her own, and silence ensued between the two. 

"Serena? What are you doing here?" Darien asked, his voice cracking. She broke into a smile. "Good morning to you too, sunshine. Actually, you're at my apartment. You must have fallen asleep last night while we were studying." 

He let that sink in, then his eyes flew open and he bolted upright, fully awake now. "Did I get you in trouble?" 

Serena shook her head. "The RA didn't come by last night, so you're safe." She reached over and flicked a piece of hair out of his face. "You're real cute right after you wake up, you know that?" 

Darien blushed. He watched her silently as she turned on the TV, flipping the channels until she came to the cartoons. "Wouldn't be a Saturday morning without these," she grinned. "I've got three different cereals to choose from. Which one would you like?" Serena asked him, pulling the boxes from the cupboard and showing them to him. He sheepishly pointed to the one with the most sugar. 

As she sat down beside him on the couch, a thought came to him. _'Okay, lover boy, this is it. Remember you said the next time you got a chance to ask her out, you wouldn't pass it up? Well, here's your chance, buddy.'_

He scowled. His inner voice was right. It was always right. He hated that. 

"Erm, Serena...?" Darien faltered and ran a hand through his tousled hair. She turned her piercing blue gaze from the TV and on to him and he gulped. He had to do it; he just had to... 

He suddenly focused on a waving hand in front of his face. "Hey, space case! Where'd you go?" Serena was giggling at him. While he was listening to that stupid inner voice of his, Serena had been patiently waiting for him to finish his sentence. 

He hated being caught off guard. Darien's face flushed bright red, the way it always did when he was embarrassed. "Iwashopingyou'dgooutwithmetoday," he mumbled quickly, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. 

Serena leaned back on the couch, giggling softly. "I thought you'd never ask." 

Darien blanched. "What?" 

"I've been wanting you to ask me out for a long time." 

"Really?" He smacked himself mentally. _'Duh, you idiot! You should've known she liked you. Why didn't you ask her sooner?'_

Darien sighed. He really hated when his voice was right. 

****** 

Since the weather was perfect, Serena chose to go ice skating. A few inches of fresh snow had fallen during the night and now the town was covered in a thick white blanket. It was only the beginning of a long and cold winter season. 

Darien walked beside the bubbly blonde silently, letting her chatter on, and answering back when she asked him a question. Inside, he was questioning himself. Of all the things to do on a date, she chose ice skating. If only he had listened to his mother when he was younger and done something about it, maybe he would feel a little more comfortable now. 

It was no secret. Darien had no idea how to ice skate. 

****** 

Serena finished lacing up her skates, and glided over to Darien on the bench, a glum expression on his face. Lucky for them, it was still early and the rink wasn't too crowded for a Saturday. She tapped his boot with her toe pick, and held out her hand to pull him up. "You ready? Let's go!" 

He didn't move. "Erm, Serena... you see, well, I don't exactly know how to skate." She looked surprised for a moment, then giggled. "No problem. I'll teach you." She grabbed Darien's hand and helped to his feet. 

"Just keep hold on my hand and concentrate on keeping your feet steady. Don't worry about anything fancy yet, okay?" Darien smiled shakily and moved one skate forward, then eased the other one after that. "Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of it!" This wasn't so bad after all... 

That was his last thought before he slipped and fell, taking Serena down with him. 

He landed on his stomach, kissing the ice with his already cold lips. Darien groaned softly, wondering to himself just how much more he could take of this. Lifting his head up, he came face to face with Serena, who had fallen down with him. She was breathing heavily and her breath came out in puffs of cold air. 

"Darien...?" 

His face crumpled. "Ah, Serena, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you fall." 

"Um, Darien?" 

"I mean, you're so nice to try to teach me and all." 

"Darien." 

"Yeah?" 

Serena squirmed a little. "You can repay me by getting off of me. You're kinda heavy." 

It was then that Darien realized he had been on top of Serena the entire time. And not just on top of her, but laying across her body. He could have sworn the ice beneath him melted as he blushed furiously and rolled off her body. 

"Sorry about that," he replied sheepishly, helping her to her feet. Serena brushed the snow and ice shavings off of her. "Maybe we should leave the skating alone for a while," she remarked. 

Darien heaved an inward sigh of relief. "So what do you suggest instead?" He asked while unlacing his skates. Serena's eyes lit up. "Let's go play in the snow. It's been so long since I did that!" Darien grinned. Finally, something he was good at. With a devilish grin, she took off running again, and he sprinted after her, determined to catch up with her this time. 

****** 

They chased each other to the park, scooping up handfuls of snow and throwing it at each other, laughing the entire time. Serena stopped at an oak tree to catch her breath. Darien came up from behind and dumped a pile of snow over her, making her scream loudly. She wiggled around, trying to get the cold snow out of her jacket. When it was mostly gone, she scooped up a handful of snow and lobbed it at Darien while he wasn't paying attention. 

Just before Serena could get away again, he grabbed the back of her coat and pulled her down into the snow with him. The powdery snow cushioned their fall. Serena looked into Darien's eyes curiously, wondering what had gotten into him so suddenly. 

He had never blushed so much in his life. Staring back into her gaze, he only saw the depths of her blue eyes... all that really mattered. The snow wasn't even cold anymore. 

She was losing the battle quickly. Looking into his deep gaze, it was too much for her to try to turn away. The gap between them grew closer and closer together, and their breaths mingled in the frosty air. 

Leaning forward just an inch, Darien captured her lips with his, emitting an immediate response from Serena. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss even more. Her fingers slid into his hair at the nape of his neck and began playing with it, sending chills of pleasure down his spine. 

They broke apart only for the need of more air. Serena drowsily looked into Darien's eyes, and they both smiled. The snow had begun to fall again, and they were covered with tiny snowflakes. He reached a hand up and gently brushed some flakes off of her face, never taking his gaze away from her for a moment. 

It was then that he also noticed that her teeth were chattering. "We've been out here long enough, don't you think?" he asked softly. Pulling Serena up out of the snow, Darien embraced her tightly in order to warm her and also for the purpose of just holding her close to him. Even though she was freezing, he felt warm all over just by being close to her. "C'mon, let's go back to your apartment and warm up." 

****** 

They kissed again on the way back, and even longer at her front door. Serena felt completely safe with Darien, without having to even question him about it. Deep down inside she knew he would never take advantage of her. 

Something changed in Darien after they kissed. He was so much more tender and gentle with her, treating her as if she was about to break. He got her settled on the couch with a thick fleece blanket wrapped around her, and then he volunteered to make up some cocoa as well. Snuggling deeper into the blanket, Serena decided with a grin that she could get used to this treatment very easily. 

He brought over two steaming mugs of cocoa, and handed one to her as he sat down. She sipped from it, then placed it on the end table so it could cool down some more. Cuddling up next to him on the couch, she sighed contentedly. Darien wrapped an arm around her, and kissed the top of her head. "If I didn't have so much to do, I'd could stay right here forever," Serena murmured, ready to fall asleep in his embrace. 

"What exactly do you have to do?" Darien asked. "You can't have much more homework than me." She shook her head. "Homework is just part of it. I have to study for all my finals, finish up one last project, clean the apartment, and then I have to pack." She groaned. "That's going to be a nightmare." 

Darien was confused. "Pack? It's just Christmas break." Serena's head shot up, looking at him in shock. "You mean you didn't... oh no, I thought I told you!" She covered her face with her hands. "This makes it even worse." 

"What makes what worse?" he asked, dreading the answer. Serena looked into his dark blue eyes sadly. "Darien... this is my last semester. I won't be coming back." 

  



	3. three

*ducks flying objects* you're not still mad at me for part two, are you? *hides in the corner* here's part three, as a peace offering. ^_^ 

Cut and Paste Usual Disclaimer Here 

When You Walked Into My Life   
by Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]   
rating: PG 

Part Three: Good-byes Aren't Forever 

The day Serena finished her finals was one of mixed emotions. Finally relieved to have all her tests behind her, she looked forward to graduation and going home, but she couldn't shake off the somber feeling she felt deep down inside. 

How could she have been so stupid? That day had been so perfect, so right. And she had to open her big mouth and ruin the moment. Darien hadn't spoken to her since then. She knew he was hurt by her sudden revelation, but she could do nothing about it now. But she had to let Darien know how she felt about him before she left for good. 

Mina walked into Serena's room and flopped down on her bed without asking, which was her nature. The perky blonde stared at her roommate for a moment, then spoke up. "In the four months I've lived with you, I've never seen you this depressed. Finals are finally over. You graduate in three days. Aren't you excited, Serena?" 

Serena exhaled softly. "He knows." 

"Who knows what?" 

"Darien knows I'm leaving." 

Mina cocked her head and giggled. "Well, of course you're leaving, lucky girl. What does that have to do with anything?" 

Serena wanted to scream at her until she was red in the face, but kept her temper in check. "Mina, it has to do with everything! Darien hasn't spoken to me since the day he found out. He's treating me as if I had a contagious disease or something." 

The blonde looked at her roommate seriously. "Then why don't you go over there and tell him before it's too late?" 

Serena blinked incredulously. It was a rare thing to get a serious comment out of Mina. She must have been on the same wavelength-for once. Smiling back at her roommate, Serena got up from her desk and grabbed her coat. "That's exactly what I was thinking." 

****** 

Walking down the narrow sidewalk, Serena braved the bitter wind as she made her way to Darien's apartment. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, trying to warm them up because she had forgotten her gloves. What would Darien say? What would she say to him? 

As Serena reached his apartment complex, she ran up to the second floor. She had been here only once before, but as she reached up and knocked once timidly, then again more strongly, she decided it was the right thing to do. She couldn't leave with a guilty conscience. 

Just then, the door opened. Serena gulped, and lifted her gaze to face... 

"Serena? What are you doing here?" Andrew, Darien's longtime friend and roommate stared back at her. There was a look in his eyes that said he knew everything-from Darien's perspective, anyway. She heaved an inward sigh of relief. Thank goodness it hadn't been him. She wasn't sure if she could face Darien just yet. 

"Andrew, is Darien around? I really need to talk to him. I assume you probably know everything." 

He nodded mutely. "He's been pretty down the last couple of days. I wish I could help you out, Serena. But you just missed him. He's up on campus, taking his finals." 

Her eyes widened. She had just...missed him? Oh, if only she had gone sooner! That was the last time she listened to her conscience. "Do you know when he'll be home?" she asked softly. 

Andrew shrugged. "All I know is that he's got two finals tonight, two tomorrow morning, and then he has to go to work at noon." 

Serena's heart nearly stopped. It wasn't fair! She was leaving at ten o'clock in the morning with a friend from back home. She would miss him again...and this would be the last time. 

She turned around to leave, but stopped. "Andrew if you do see him tonight, and he's not too tired, please tell him I came by to see him." 

He nodded and watched her trudge down the stairs and out to the sidewalk. She and Darien would've been so good together—if only... 

****** 

Darien walked into his apartment just before midnight, sick of everything that was school-related. If he saw another textbook or test before he absolutely had to, he was going to scream. 

Plodding into his bedroom, he was surprised to find Andrew still up so late reading, but then he remembered that his roommate was already finished with finals and had the rest of the week free. Gen. Ed majors seemed to have it so easy... 

"Hey, Darien, how'd your finals go?" 

With a grunt, he flopped down on his bed, without bothering to take his shoes off first. He was just too tired to do anything else. "Why do we do this to ourselves, 'Drew? I thought finals in high school were bad enough, but I don't think I can take anymore of this." 

Andrew chuckled. "You've got one more semester, Darien. I don't think it could get any worse. But it's harder for you because you've already chosen your major in Physics, and it's automatically more difficult. You've got to get your generals out of the way, and fulfill classes for your major at the same time. Get the required stuff out of the way first, and it'll be much better." 

Darien rolled his eyes. "You're just saying that because that's what you're doing. Did you ever decide on a major yet? I know you've gone through at least five already." 

There was a laugh. "I think I finally decided on something in business. That way I can take over the family business when my dad retires." 

"You want to work at the arcade all your life?" 

"Not all my life. I want to do something to expand it into more of a cafe and game center, more than it is right now." 

Shaking his head, Darien chuckled at his roommate. "Whatever 'Drew. Just make sure you invite me to the grand re-opening of Crown when you transform it." He got up to leave the room. 

"Serena stopped by to see you earlier," Andrew blurted out suddenly. His roommate stopped, and turned around in the doorway. Andrew saw something flicker in Darien's eyes, but it left as fast as it came. 

"She did?" he asked quietly. Andrew nodded. 

He was silent for a moment. "What did she say?" 

"Not much. She obviously wanted to talk to you about something, but all she said to me was to tell you that she had come by." 

Darien nodded mutely. "Thanks for the message," was all he said before shutting the door behind him. Andrew stared after his roommate and shook his head. He never could figure that guy out. 

****** 

Darien stepped outside into the brisk night air, feeling the chill of the wind surround him almost immediately as he walked down the sidewalk. Funny how the recent weather seemed to reflect his moods perfectly. He felt as if he had been put into a winter state by a sudden chill. Now he was lying dormant until the warmth returned to bring him back to life. 

No one had ever evoked such feelings in him, so why Serena? Why did she have to be so darn special... why did he have to lose everyone in his life that he ever loved? 

It was no secret; he knew that he loved her. But it wasn't a full fledged passionate love... not yet, anyway. What he felt for her was more like a close relationship, like for a best friend. In a small way, he wished it were more. Instead he had willingly opened up the door to his heart, and had it shut in his face again. 

But as he walked, he decided that wasn't really true. It was his fault he was avoiding Serena. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her; he _couldn't_ see her because he was afraid to face the pain of saying goodbye to her all over again. 

As he looked up, he smiled to himself. Ironic that he would end up here. He stood in front of Serena's apartment complex, shifting his gaze to the apartment on the end of the second row. The lights shone in all the windows, and for a moment he thought he could see someone racing frantically from room to room. Darien shook his head, blaming his imagination for playing tricks on him. More than anything, he wanted to go up there and take her in his arms and never let her leave. But he couldn't be impulsive like that, though he wanted to be sometimes. 

He sighed, then turned away and headed back to his own apartment, his memories preventing him from thinking clearly. 

****** 

Meanwhile, Serena couldn't sleep a wink. Even though it was well after midnight, too many things were on her mind, and as she looked around her room, there were too many things to pack. How in the world did she acquire so much? And how did it manage to find its way into every room in the apartment? 

Blowing some stray hair out of her face, she pulled the last of her dishes from the cupboard, and lugged them back into her room, trying to find a place to pack them in. So many little things took up so much space. Serena hoped that her friend had enough room in the car. If not, she'd be forced to mail most of it home. And for a college student, that was not a happy thing. 

She turned her attention back to her room, decidngto tackle the mess formerly known as her desk. In the process of finals ending and all her packing, everything else had been piled on top of it, so now it was a heaping mountain. Serena pulled out the textbooks she didn't sell back from the middle of the pile, relieved that the rest of it didn't come crashing down on her. 

Another smaller book fell down on the floor with the rest of the books. Serena picked it up and looked at it curiously. Immediately, tears sprang to her eyes when she realized what it was. 

Her dog-eared copy of "Much Ado About Nothing." The same one she used to help Darien with his English project. She clasped it in her hands and let the tears fall freely. 

Darien. Just thinking of him made her nearly break down in complete sobs. How had she let one person affect her so much? He was the first one she had completely trusted, but she let him down. If only she didn't have to leave... but now he didn't want to see her. 

She got up off the floor and went to her window, thinking that if she stared out it long enough she would see Darien magically appear out on the sidewalk, looking back at her. Of course that was impossible, however real she wanted it to be. 

Serena flopped onto her unmade bed, still clutching the book in her left hand. If only there was more time, she would go see him again, try to straighten things out. But no words could really express what she felt right now. 

Suddenly Serena shot straight up. If she couldn't say it to him... that was it! Naturally having a way with the written word (she wasn't an English major for nothing), she scooted off the bed and ran to her desk, clearing a small space on it. Serena was no poet, but if she thought about it long enough, she might come up with something decent. 

****** 

Darien stumbled into his small kitchen at six o'clock, bleary-eyed and squinting from the bright fluorescent lights. He had his physics final in an hour and a half, and he had stayed up until two o'clock in the morning trying to prepare for it. That had been a mistake, one that he would never repeat again. 

He read through his notes one last time as he scarfed down his breakfast. He couldn't remember the last time he had gone to the store. But that wasn't important now. What mattered right now was getting to his test on time and trying to pass it. 

As he got up from the table to grab his backpack, he noticed something had been slipped underneath the front door. It was a small sheet of paper, folded into thirds and taped shut. When he picked it up, he saw there was no name on the front of it, but Darien had a sneaky suspicion it was for him. 

Sure enough, as he opened the paper, his name was at the top, and he knew immediately who it was from by the familiar scrawl the poem was written in. 

_I didn't sleep last night, I guess that's the price   
You pay for a soul that's troubled   
And curse or blessing I'm here confessing   
Some days are better than others. _

And even tomorrow is tinged with sorrow   
When one fool longs for another   
This can't last forever, just like the weather   
Some days are better than others. 

If you see dark skies in my sad eyes   
It just means that I can't find no cover   
These ghosts that haunt me   
They take me when they want me   
And some days are better than others.** 

His backpack dropped to the floor and he fell to the couch. No written words could solve the problem, but they could express how one felt, and he was sure this had come from the bottom of Serena's heart. 

The heartache wouldn't stop with just a few words. That was what time was for. With time, Darien's heart would mend, and the pain he felt would slowly ease away. 

But he would never forget Serena. 

****** 

Shoving the last box into the already stuffed trunk, Serena gave it one final push and lodged it between a laundry basket, and her friend's suitcase. If packing it all away into just a few boxes had been a miracle, then fitting it into Molly's trunk was another. Thank heavens they were the only two in the car, or else it would've never worked. 

Molly called out from the driver's seat. "Ready to go, Serena?" The blonde shut the lid of the trunk with a thud, then squeezed into the passenger side amidst all the pillows and blankets. She pushed them out of her face to look out the window once last time at the place she had called home for the last ten months. It hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be, not with all the memories she had to sustain her. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Serena caught a glimpse of Darien's apartment complex down the road. If only she had had the chance to see him once more before she left for good, but it just wasn't meant to happen that sunny Saturday morning. 

Serena sighed to herself, then whispered under her breath as Molly started the car and pulled out onto the street. 

"Goodbyes are only for those people we don't want to see again." 

  
  


  
  


Part four, coming soon....^_~   
  


**lyrics taken from the song "Some Days," sung by Trisha Yearwood, off the Real Live Woman CD. Highly recommended! 


	4. four

Disclaimer: I don't claim to claim what I cannot claim, so don't think that I've claimed anything that I have no right to claim. o_O (How that's for a 2:30 am writeup?) 

When You Walked Into My Life   
by Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com] 

Part Four: Remembering   
- or -   
The Road Trip from Hell 

  
  
  


"Tell me again why we're doing this, Andrew?" 

Andrew smiled, not taking his eyes off the road. "Because you need to get a life, and to do that, we have to get out of this dinky town. Besides, it's spring break. No one else is staying around for the next week, why should we?" 

Darien groaned, not only because Andrew had pushed him into something he hadn't planned on, but also because he got very carsick when he wasn't the one driving. And it wasn't just carsickness. Planes, trains, you name it, it made him dizzy. He couldn't even go on a simple thing as a carousel at a theme park because the combinations of the spinning and the up and down motion made him lose his lunch. 

Andrew turned up the radio, and flipped the stations until he came to a song that he knew and liked. Then he started singing along with it. Loudly. 

Rolling his eyes, Darien tried to tune out the off-key voice of his friend, but it was no use. His singing was worse than being carsick. 

"C'mon Darien, sing along. You'll feel much better, I promise." Darien just glared at his giddy roommate and rolled his eyes. 

"That's it. Next town we come to, I'm driving." 

****** 

Serena sank down into the wooden porch swing in her back yard and lazily stared up at the clear blue sky, dotted with a few clouds here and there. She closed her eyes and sighed loudly. It had been two months since she had come home, and truthfully, it was boring. Serena missed college life more than anything else. If she could, she would go back, but she couldn't do that right now. She had to find something to occupy her time for the rest of the summer. If she didn't she would go crazy. 

A voice called out from inside the house. "Serena, did you have any luck today?" Serena hung her head and sighed. Her mother had been after her to get a job for the last week and a half, and now it was starting to get on her nerves. Job hunting was one of the most exasperating things in the entire world. 

"Everyone's looking for more than just summer help, and I can't promise them anything more than the next four months," she yelled back so her mother could hear her. 

Her mother's voice came back at her. "Please come inside. I need your help with dinner, Serena." 

"But I thought it was Sammy's turn!" 

"It was, but he went out with Mika somewhere and won't be back until later." 

Serena scowled. That little brat of a brother... He was only sixteen, but he knew the system and how to work it all too well. And lately, he was using his girlfriend Mika as his excuse. It was no fun being the oldest child, the guinea pig of the family. She had paved the way for Sammy to always get his way. Even now that she had been away at college and returned home, she still had to beg and plead for the simplest thing, while her brother got whatever he wanted with a snap of his fingers. 

"Serena!" Her mother called out again, this time with a note of exasperation in her voice. Serena grudgingly got up from the swing and went inside. Sammy would surely get it from her later. 

****** 

After the dinner table had been cleared, Serena was up in her room, trying to make sense of her belongings. Even after two months, not everything had been unpacked and put away, and now she was having a hard time finding a place for it all. Funny how much easier it was to unpack rather than packing it all. 

She heard the front door slam downstairs and her brother call out a greeting to their parents, then listened to his thumping ascent up the stairs. Serena waited until she heard his door slam shut, and then she left her room and knocked loudly on his door. 

A short grunt came from the other side, and she knew that was her brother's customary response, also meaning to come in. Grabbing hold of the doorknob, Serena pushed her way into her brother's lair, as she referred to it. 

"Sammy, it wasn't fair of you to--" she stopped short. Her brother was sitting on his bed, trying to wrap up a box sitting on his lap. She walked over for a closer look. "What are you doing?" 

"Trying to wrap up Mika's birthday present," he replied without looking up. Serena suddenly understood. She gently took it from his hands, getting a look of surprise from Sammy. Within minutes, she had it wrapped up securely and handed it back to him. 

"Thanks," he mumbled, placing his hand on the back of his head. "You'll have to teach me how to do that." Serena saw a different side to her little brother at that moment. He had never been the one to give compliments freely and she wondered briefly if this was all Mika's doing. She really liked that girl. She had taken the obnoxious kid Serena knew and turned him into something decent. 

"What did you get Mika for her birthday?" Serena asked quietly, picking up the dirty clothes off the bed and throwing them into the hamper. She couldn't understand how he could live in such a mess. 

"Hey, stop that," Sammy started, scooping up the pile in the middle of the floor and shoving it under the bed. "I can clean up after myself." 

"Well, why don't you start before you drown in it all?" Serena retorted, throwing a pillow at him. 

He caught the pillow and smirked at his sister. "By the way, I got Mika a stuffed teddy bear. She has so many dolls cause she's always making them, but she said how she's always wanted a teddy bear. So I thought I'd get her one." 

Serena smiled at her brother's thoughtfulness. Either he had lost it completely, or he really cared about Mika. "Sammy, can I ask you something?" 

He shrugged his shoulders like a typical teenager. "I guess so." 

"How do much do you like Mika?" 

Sammy looked off into space for a moment, lost in thought. Then he turned back to his sister. "I dunno, I like her a lot, I guess. She laughs at my jokes, and helps me pull pranks on the teachers at school sometimes. She also isn't afraid to stand up to the bullies at school." 

"Is that all?" Serena prodded. He ducked his head and looked away, but not before she caught a glimpse of a blush rising on his cheeks. "No, I think she's really pretty too. And smart. Sometimes I don't know why she hangs around me so much. Is that normal?" 

Serena almost giggled at her brother's seriousness. "Sammy, it's perfectly normal. High school is always like this. It's one of the first steps you take towards finding out who you really are and what you can become." 

"Oh." Sammy looked down at his hands for a second. "So does that mean you've found out who you are and what you can make of that since you've graduated from college?" 

Serena blinked. "Well, no... not quite. I've still got a while to go too. Finding yourself doesn't just happen overnight. It takes time, and it's different for each person. I think when you truly feel happy with who you are and the place you're at, that's a definite sign that you're learning." 

He smiled at that, then shrugged. "I feel happy when I'm around Mika. She likes me for who I am and doesn't question that." 

She ruffled her brother's hair, winning a cry of protest from him. "That's good Sammy. Keep a hold on her, I have a feeling she'll do you some good." With that, she got up and left Sammy's room and returned to her own. 

As she closed the door behind her, suddenly it hit her. 'I was always happy with myself when I was around Darien. Why can't I take my own advice?' 

****** 

"Andrew, I think I've seen that sign before. Twice, in fact. Do you even know where we're going?" 

"Shut up, Darien," he mumbled, gripping the steering wheel tightly. 

Darien stared at the driver, his happy-go-lucky expression all but gone now. "Ooh, what happened to the guy who wanted to sing Broadway show tunes the entire trip?" 

Andrew growled. "I left him behind in the last town." 

He gulped and turned to look out the window. Darien started to long for a way out. Whoever said that road trips were supposed to be fun had never driven around with Andrew for over six hours. Then something along side the road caught his eye. "Andrew, turn right at this next road." 

"Why?" 

"There's a gas station on the corner." 

Andrew peered at the gas gauge. "We're fine on gas, Darien. We could probably go for another hundred miles or so. Why do I need to pull in there?" 

Darien sighed. "Maybe they have maps for sale or something. Or we could ask them for directions." 

Andrew stared at his dark-haired friend. "I cannot believe you just said that. I will never ask for directions! Not even if we were stuck out in the middle of nowhere!" 

They both looked out through the windshield. It sure looked like the middle of nowhere, complete with the rolling sagebrush and the low whistle of the wind. 

Andrew sat back in the driver's seat. "Then again, no one will ever know if we don't tell them." 

****** 

"Mom, Mom! Guess what! I got a job! I finally got a job!" Serena blew into the house like a hurricane, racing from room to room and shouting out her good news. Her mother poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled at her enthusiastic daughter. "That's wonderful, Serena! Where will you be working?" 

"At the diner. They were hiring waitresses so I walked in and they practically hired me on the spot," Serena beamed. 

"The new one that just opened at the edge of town?" 

"Yep, that's the one!" 

Her mother frowned slightly. "Serena, do you think you're cut out to be a waitress?" 

"Not you too," Serena pouted. "Molly said the same thing when I ran into her at the mall. I know it's a stressful job, but I think I can do it. I need the experience and the money." 

"You do realize that a waitressing job pays next to nothing." 

Serena kept smiling. "I know that, but if you have the right attitude, you make the customers happy, which means better tips. And everyone agrees that I have the perfect personality for this job." She gave her mother the thumbs-up sign. "Everything is going to work out," she finished while running up the stairs. 

Her mother stared after her for a moment. "I hope she knows it won't be all fun and games." 

****** 

Serena plodded into the house after her first night at work. Everyone had been right after all, waitressing was difficult to learn, but it wasn't impossible. And she was determined to stick with it. 

Closing the door to her room, she quickly changed out of her uniform that smelled suspiciously like filet mignon, which had been the special of the day. Serena flopped down onto her bed and sighed loudly, trying to be careful not to wake up Luna, who was sleeping peacefully on the windowsill cushion. Serena had missed Luna's companionship while she was away, since she hadn't been allowed to take her to college. 

Her whole body ached. Eight hours on her feet and the only break she had been allowed the entire evening was a measly fifteen minutes. And this was only the beginning. Was she really cut out to be a waitress? Serena thought she had the personality for it, but having the strength was a totally different story. 

Her breath left a patch of fog on the window. Winter. Serena would never think of the season the same way again. It had been a time of bittersweet beginnings and endings. But perhaps, some things just weren't meant to be. 

She brought a hand up to the cold pane of glass, and stared at her reflection. The person who stared solemnly back at her, was that truly who she was? Or was her real self hidden somewhere within, in a place where she could not see? 

Serena knew who she really was. That personality had only been brought out by one person, and she hadn't been the same since. 

She would never forget him. 

She couldn't forget him. 

****** 

Finally at the wheel after Andrew had driven them around and gotten them hopelessly lost, Darien glanced at all his mirrors, not surprised that they hadn't seen a single car pass them for at least an hour. Andrew was asleep in the passenger seat, a snore or two escaping his lips occasionally. 

The radio had been turned down, but Darien caught snatches of songs here and there as he drove, singing to some of the ones he knew and listening to the others. He didn't sing around other people, though he actually had a good voice. He didn't like to be the center of attention, and avoided it when he could. And that usually meant getting out of his apartment when Andrew or one of the other roommates would throw a party. It just wasn't his style, no matter how much they protested and prodded him to stay. 

Switching radio stations, he caught the end of a slow song and he smiled to himself. Darien recognized it as the song that had played the night he and Serena had met up at the dance, when he first started to realize how much he cared for her. It didn't matter he hadn't known her long before that point; time didn't exist when it came to matters of the heart. When Serena walked into his life, he became a new person. And he liked who he had been when she was there. Even his roommates noticed the change in his attitude. 

But when she left, his new personality disappeared with her. And what Darien regretted the most was not being able to see her before she left. The fates had played a cruel hand in their parting. For nights after that, Darien couldn't sleep, feeling guilty that he had stayed away from Serena. His first reaction to her news was the wrong one, but then again, he had always been famous for that sort of thing when he was younger. If he could see her now, he knew what he would do. Groveling--and lots of it--would definitely be involved. 

Before he could think any further, a deep growl rumbled from his stomach and echoed through the whole car, even to the point of waking Andrew up. "What's that awful noise?" Andrew complained as he was aroused from his uncomfortable sleeping position. 

"Just my stomach," Darien replied, keeping his eyes on the road for the nearest exit. "Let's stop and get something to eat in the next town, okay?" Andrew yawned in agreement. The headlights caught a road sign and he turned off at the exit, following a twisty road to the edge of a small town. Darien could see several fast food signs down the road, but instead he stopped at a small diner, one of those restaurants that stayed open nearly the entire night. 

They jumped out of the car, grateful to stretch and get something decent to eat. Entering the diner, Darien and Andrew were greeted with a small sign on the front desk that said 'Please Seat Yourself.' Finding a empty corner booth, they sat down and started browsing through the menus, looking for something to catch their eye. They only problem was, *everything* looked good to them. 

****** 

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, two waitresses and a cook stood in the back talking about the day's events. Something eventful always managed to happen at this edge of town, and sometimes even inside the diner. Yesterday it had been a fight that started outside, and ended through the front window. Today had been fairly quiet, with only a car chase down the middle of Main Street. For it only being a medium sized town, it was awfully exciting during this time of year. 

One of the fairly new waiters came in through the kitchen door. "There's two guys at table 12, the corner booth. I'd get them myself, but I still don't know how to do it very well." 

Serena grabbed her ticket pad and pen and shoved them in her apron pocket. "Table 12 is in my area anyway, I'll get it." She checked her watch, and noted the late time. "I'll never get used to these late shifts. These people must be out-of-towners, cause we hardly ever get anyone in this late." Pushing open the kitchen door, Serena skipped out to the dining area to take some orders. The other three watched her go and smiled. "I have to hand it to her, when she first started, I wasn't sure she'd be able to hang on this long." 

Out in the dining area, Serena strode over to the corner booth, weary after such a long day, but put a smile on for her customers. Pulling out her ticket pad and her pen, she replied, "What'll you have, boys?" 

One of them spoke up softly. "Serena?" 

She grinned, still looking at her notepad. "That's my name, isn't it? Have you decided, or should I give you more time?" 

And then she looked up. 


	5. five

When You Walked Into My Life   
by Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]   
Part Five: Making Amends 

  
  
  


Her notepad fell to the table. Flustered, she scrambled to pick it up and tried to gather what was left of her composure. It only got worse when a hand brushed hers as she took the pen from the table top and placed it back in her apron pocket. This was the last thing she needed. Anything but this... 

"You're the last person we expected to run into, Serena," Andrew remarked. Darien was too shocked to say anything; he just sat there and stared at her. "Join the club," she muttered softly under her breath. She tapped her pen against the notepad. "Well, did you decide what you're going to order yet?" Serena asked cheerfully, finally meeting Darien's gaze. He continued to stare back, a solemn look filling his eyes. Andrew reached over and nudged his friend. "You might catch a fly or two if you leave your mouth hanging open like that." 

Darien shot a look at his roommate and dropped his gaze from Serena's, too embarrassed to retort to Andrew's comment. Pointing to the menu quickly, he mumbled, "I'll have that." Andrew asked for the same, and with a quick jot of her pen, Serena wrote down their orders and scurried back to the kitchen. 

The moment she slipped through the door, she heaved a loud sigh. "You are not going to believe who's out there," she remarked as she gave the order to the cook. Tia, another new waitress working the same shift, perked up from her cleaning. "What do you mean, Serena? Is there someone famous out there? Oooh, you're so lucky!" 

"Not exactly, Tia. It's two guys I know from college. I dated one of them right before I left three months ago, but things ended on a sour note and this is the first time I've seen him since then. I don't even know how he ended up here." She sighed again. "I can't go back out there. It's too awkward. Tia, would you mind taking over for me? Their food is almost ready." 

Tia threw her cleaning cloth over her shoulder with glee. "Sure, Serena! I need all the practice I can get with serving! I'm so tired of cleaning all the time." She grabbed the plates from the counter and bounded out into the dining area. 

Andrew noticed the serving door fly open out of the corner of his eye and turned back to Darien. "Here's your chance. You can talk things over with Serena and clear this up once and for all." Darien nodded and lifted his head, but was surprised and disappointed to find another girl standing there with their food. 

"Here you go, two specials of the day. Is there anything else I can get for you?" Tia asked brightly. 

His food forgotten, Darien looked around the cafe briefly. "Umm... can you tell me where Serena went? I thought she was getting our food." 

Tia wrinkled her forehead in thought. "She's somewhere in the back. She asked me to take over cause something came up, but if you really want, I'll go get her for you." His head bobbed up and down, and the young waitress skipped back into the kitchen. 

"Serena!" Tia called out as she shoved the door open, "Come back out here! That guy wants to talk to you!" 

"Do you have to announce it to the whole town? I can't see him right now, Tia. Please, just go finish up the job and let them eat in peace." 

The young girl frowned. "I think you're hiding from something, Serena. I may not know your story, but I think you ought to finish your job first." Serena's eyes widened, and she hung her head. "You're right, Tia. I hate that." She sighed. "Will you do one last thing for me? Will you take this note back out to him? This will have to do for now." Serena handed her a folded slip of paper. 

"I feel like I'm playing monkey in the middle," Tia remarked dryly, and went back out to hand over the note. As she gave it to him, Darien looked at it quizzically and she shrugged. "She told me to give it you, but I have no idea what it says." With that, Tia returned to the kitchen, leaving the two guys alone in the quiet diner. Darien unfolded the paper, and skimmed its contents. Without warning, he jumped up from his seat and started looking for the nearest exit. 

"Darien? What's the matter with you? What are--" He was suddenly interrupted. "Whatever you do, Andrew, don't leave. Just... stay there. I'll be right back," and he bolted out the door, leaving his friend dumbfounded. Where was he going? Darien never did things spontaneously. Shaking his head, Andrew finished his meal, wondering what had gotten into his roommate. 

Meanwhile, Darien ran around the back of the diner to a dimly lit alley, and to his disappointment, found no one there. The note had said she would be here waiting for him. He leaned over to catch his breath. 

"I knew you would come," a voice suddenly said, making Darien jump. Serena stepped out from the shadows, a light jacket covering her shoulders. "Sorry to make this all appear like a cheesy mystery movie, but it's the only way we can talk in private." He took a couple of steps towards her, but she didn't move. "Serena, I know you must hate me, but--" 

"Darien, I could never hate you," she interrupted quickly. "You've obviously gotten a few things mixed up, but I did too. I'm sorry that I never got a chance to clear things up." He blinked. "Clear things up? What do you mean, Serena? I'm sorry for not talking to you before you left." 

Sighing, she pulled her jacket tighter around her to fend off the chilly breeze. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Darien. Remember, I was the one who practically left you hanging. I never meant for this to happen. I'm sorry for making you go through this." 

Darien placed his hands on her shoulders. "If either one of us says sorry again, I'll scream," he replied, cracking a smile. "It was a big misunderstanding on both our parts, Serena. Don't go blaming everything on yourself." 

Tears started to well up in her eyes. "Thank you for being so understanding, Darien. There aren't many guys out there who are as accepting and sympathetic as you are." She slipped her arms around his waist and gave him a slight hug. But before she could get away, he tightened his hold on her and pulled her into his embrace. 

"Serena..." he murmured lowly, sending shivers down her spine, "is it impossible for me to think that we could ever be the way we were before?" She sighed softly, enjoying the warm and comforting feeling that raced through her from being in his arms again. She'd missed that. "I don't know, Darien. You've still got school and I'll be here. I don't want to tie you down. Let's just stay friends, like it was before." 

"Friends? Is that all you want? I'm willing to give you so much more than that, if you'll let me." 

"I know you are, Darien. But at the moment, our friendship is for the best. Please, just trust me." 

He sighed and nodded. "Will I ever see you again?" 

"I really don't know. If you decide to take another crazy road trip like this one, then I'm sure you will. In that case, no good-byes." She shivered suddenly. "I have to get back to work, and Andrew's probably wondering what I've done with you after all this time. C'mon, let's go inside." 

****** 

''_'It's better not to hope for things when we live separate lives.'_'' 

"That's what she told you?" Andrew exclaimed after they had gotten back into the car. "She didn't give you any chance whatsoever?" 

Darien leaned back in the passenger seat and stretched. "On the contrary, Andrew. I got more out of her than I ever thought I would. Just because distance separates us doesn't mean I'm going to give up." He stared out the window at the diner growing smaller in the side view mirror. "She means too much to me to let go without trying." 

****** 

"I'm going out with Mika tonight! I'll be home around midnight!" Sammy called out as he thundered down the stairs. Serena scrambled off her bed and ran after him. "Sammy, don't you dare! It's your night to cook dinner!" She was answered with the slam of the front door. Scowling, Serena plodded down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother was putting away the groceries. "I swear, that kid could get away with murder if he wanted to," she muttered under her breath. "Why didn't you try to stop him, Mom?" 

Her mother smiled. "Sweetie, he's still young. Let him have his fun." 

Serena dropped into one of the kitchen chairs. "You never said that when I was his age. What's so important about being seventeen?" she pouted. 

"That's because you're the oldest. You have to set a good example for your little brother." 

She rolled her eyes. "Good example my foot. He'll do whatever he pleases with or without my example." Then her gaze caught sight of the day's mail at the other end of the table. Curious, Serena reached for it and sorted through the pile, just once wishing that she would get something other than junk mail. 

To her surprise, the last envelope had her name printed on it. She peered curiously at it with the familiar address in the corner. Why was she getting a letter from them now? Ripping open the envelope, Serena quickly read through the unfriendly form letter and let it fall back to the table, surprised at what she saw. 

Perhaps this was the answer she was waiting for. 

****** 

A tap came at her door later that night. "Serena?" came her father's voice as he opened the door. She was sitting at her desk, her back to turned to him as he came up from behind. "You left this on the kitchen table. Is it important?" 

Serena turned around and saw he was holding the Letter she had received that day. "Read it and tell me what you think, Dad. I need a second opinion." 

He unfolded the paper and skimmed over its contents, then he looked down at his daughter. "I remember you mentioned this a couple of months ago because it was so important to you. Didn't you want to do this?" 

She shrugged and turned around. "Back then I thought I would for sure, but now, I don't know. A lot of things have changed since then, and a few events in the last couple of months has changed my feelings. If I do go, I'll have to face them up front, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that." 

Her father nodded. "Sweetie, it's your decision. Whether or not you decide to go is completely up to you, and your mother and I will support you in it." Serena groaned. "Dad, you're supposed to tell me what to do, not leave it up to me. That's what parents are for, right?" 

He chuckled. "Wasn't it only last year that you practically yelled at your mother and I to leave you alone and let you make your own choices? I thought that's what you wanted." 

She rolled her eyes. "You always know when to use my words against me, don't you? Just like a parent..." Serena took another look at the letter, then closed her eyes. With a sigh, she replied, "I guess I need to think this over." 

Her father leaned over and gave her a hug. "You may be all grown up, but you're still my little girl. And I'll always be proud of my little girl." 

****** 

The spring air was still chilly, so Serena took a light jacket with her as she stepped outside for a walk. Unusually cold for late March, she thought to herself. But it felt good to be outside on a night like this. It had been a while since she had had time all to herself. 

This was an important decision she had to make. She knew she had the support of her parents, but that wasn't always enough. They practically supported her in everything she did. Come to think of it, this was a really silly thing to be dwelling over. She'd faced bigger and more important choices before. So why was this so hard for her? 

Serena thought back to that time a month and a half earlier, when she had run into Darien again. No matter how much she tried to deny it, it had been so good to see him again. To hear his voice, to see his smiling face...the way he had held her. If she had let herself, no doubt she would have melted in his arms right there and then. 

But was that what she really wanted? She'd never opened up to anyone before, and she was afraid if she did now, she would only get hurt. But she had hurt herself and Darien in the process anyway. Serena sighed, creating a small cloud in the chilled air. Maybe this was supposed to happen. And if Darien was willing to hold out for her, she should make an effort on her part too. If she was going to get hurt, she wanted him to be the one to do it. 

She was going to go back. 

****** 

Reaching into the back of the closet, Darien frowned. Where was it? He needed it on a day like today. He called into the other room. "Andrew, have you seen my lucky tie?" 

"The one with the yellow smiley faces on it? I think I saw it yesterday. Check the second shelf down," his roommate yelled from the kitchen. 

"A-ha! Found it!" Darien exclaimed and pulled the tie from its hiding place. He had worn this same tie at his high school graduation and planned to wear it for his first college graduation. Two long years and the day had finally come. His college career wasn't completely over yet, but it was nice to know part of it was out of the way. 

He finished knotting his lucky tie and reached for the robe hanging on the closet door. Slipping it on, Darien felt different when he wore something like this, almost as if he became a different person. 

"Are you almost ready, Darien? We have to be to the gymnasium in 20 minutes!" 

"Just a second!" he called back. "I have to find my cap and tassel." Looking among the mess of blankets, clothes and many other items, he plucked the black cap and matching tassel from underneath a towel laying on the bed. He ran out of the room to find Andrew waiting by the front door, dressed identically, only his mortarboard was already perched on his head. Black wasn't even one of their school's colors, but it was considered traditional for a college graduation. 

"I feel like I'm going to a funeral wearing all this black," Andrew muttered as they walked the two blocks from their apartment to the gymnasium. It was the only building on campus large enough to house all the graduates and their guests. Fortunately, they arrived with ten minutes to spare, so they took their time finding the other graduates and putting final touches on their appearances. 

A voice crackled through the loudspeaker in the auxiliary gym. "All graduates, please assemble yourselves in single file lines so we can proceed smoothly. If you want to sit by friends during commencement, have them line up in front or behind you. Please do this quickly so we can begin on time. Thank you." 

Andrew was already standing in front of Darien as they moved into their line. "This is it," he muttered to his roommate. "We're finally going to graduate, Darien." 

Darien smiled and opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by a tap on his shoulder and a voice from behind. "Mind if I stand next to you?" That voice sounded awfully familiar... but it wasn't possible. He was only imagining things. His heart was playing tricks on him, trying to make him believe that she would somehow show up. It was just some other person who wanted to stand next to them, that was it. It wouldn't be her. 

He turned around slowly. At that moment his heart skipped a beat and his jaw dropped to the floor. "Serena? Wh--what in the world are you doing here?" 

She grinned brightly, her blond curls bobbing up and down and her tassel swinging from side to side. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the entire world!" 

Darien was beyond puzzled. "Bu--but... I thought you already graduated." She tugged on her cap, trying to make it stay in place. "Technically yes, I graduated last semester, but there's no way I would miss commencement. But you didn't answer my first question, Darien. Do you mind if I sit next to you?" 

He blushed slightly and nodded. "Of course. How could I deny myself such a privilege?" 

"All graduates proceed to the tunnel! Please proceed to the tunnel!" The loudspeaker crackled through the room one last time. 

As they began marching towards the main gym, Serena reached in front of her and suddenly took Darien's hand in hers. He looked back at her, his eyes twice their size. She just smiled and squeezed his hand gently. Then he gave her a tender smile. "I'm glad you came back, Serena." 

"So am I, Darien. So am I."   
  


********** 

And so finishes my tribute to my junior college. I never thought it would take this long. Most of all, I want to dedicate this story to everyone I met during those two years. Whether or not you read this, know in your hearts that the impact you have had on my life will never be forgotten. 

My thanks also goes out to everyone who encouraged me to complete this. I wouldn't still be doing this today if it weren't for your awesome support. 

Until next time, ja ne!   
Elysia   
(c) August 2000 


End file.
